Coaches around the Sun Belt Conference see the same things that ULM?s Orlando Early has seen in recent weeks.
Though mired in a four-game skid in the midst an overall frustrating season, the Warhawks are showing signs of improvement.
?I talk to other coaches in our league, guys that are watching our team? Early said this week. ?I get a call out of the blue from John Brady. The guy at North Texas called. The guy at Florida International called. They keep calling ? ?Man, I can not believe that your team is 1-6 right now. You guys are right there.??
But Early knows that perceptions is one thing. In reality, the Warhawks enter tonight?s 6 p.m. Sun Belt game at Florida Atlantic at 5-13 overall and 1-6 in the conference. The most recent two Sun Belt games were close (65-62 at Arkansas State and 71-70 to Troy), yet they were still losses.
?What we have to do is what we work on,? Early said. ?We have to stay true to our system and believe in what we?re doing. Eventually, we?ll find a way to get a win. If we stray away from what we do and what we believe in, then we?ve got no chance.?
The Warhawks were despondent after the one-point home loss to Troy on Saturday. Players and coaches all left Fant-Ewing Coliseum without taking their post-game meal. A stack of pizzas was left untouched in the trainer?s room.
?After Saturday?s game was the first time that I?ve seen them really, really down,?
Early said. ?As a coach, you want your coach to be disappointed about a loss. I?d rather the coaches, the staff and the managers take it really bad, because those guys have to play another game. They have to move on to compete in the next game.?
ULM has settled into a regular player rotation that includes starters Lawrence Gilbert, Malcolm Thomas, Rudy Turner, Jarvis Hill and Kenny Averette. Off the bench, ULM is getting improving production from Dynile Forbes, Afam Nweke, Mitchell Hampton and Brandon Williams.
?Our record is not good,? Early said. ?But I do like the direction that our team is going. We?re going to continue to work hard and get better.?
The Warhawks, who are 0-10 on the road, could use a breakthrough win away from Monroe. Struggling Florida Atlantic, which is 4-15 and 0-7 in the Sun Belt, could provide the opportunity tonight.
?It should be an interesting week for us,? said Early, whose team plays host to Florida International on Saturday. ?I think the spirits of our guys are pretty good. Hopefully, we can find a way to get two wins this week.?
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GETTING INSIDE
The good news for the Warhawks was that they played two competitive games and had real chances to win at the end.
The bad news was they weren't able to finish either game, falling 65-62 at Arkansas State on Jan. 15 and 71-70 at home to Troy on Jan. 17, extending their losing streak to four games.
ULM got 20 points from Malcolm Thomas, plus 17 points and 11 rebounds from Miami transfer Lawrence Gilbert in the loss to Troy. The Warhawks played pretty well, canning 11 3-pointers, but still fell short.
Two plays down the stretch killed ULM. First, Troy's Brandon Hazzard drained a 3-pointer -- it was initially ruled a 2-point basket -- with 31 seconds left, putting Troy ahead for good. Then the Warhawks turned the ball over.
Give the Warhawks credit for still playing hard in the midst of a tough season, but for them to keep exerting maximum effort game-after-game, they'll have to get a couple of these close ones to go their way.
NOTES, QUOTES
--In its loss to Troy, ULM passed the ball probably as well as it has all season. The Warhawks had 16 assists, 24 made field goals and just nine turnovers.
--F Malcolm Thomas wins the consistency award for the week, scoring 20 points at Arkansas State and following it up with another 20 against Troy. Thomas, though, hit just seven of 19 field goals against Troy.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Tony's commitment to our program and team was evident during his suspension. He did everything we asked and more. It is just unfortunate about his injury." -- Coach Orlando Early on G Tony Hooper, who is out for the season after breaking a bone in his foot during practice last week. Hooper returned last month after serving an eight-game suspension for breaking team rules.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
It took a while, but ULM might have finally found a suitable replacement at point guard for Tony Hooper, who was first suspended and then was forced to the sidelines for the season's remainder with a broken foot.
Kenneth Averette has settled in nicely of late for Hooper, illustrated by his five-assist, one-turnover performance on Jan. 17 against Troy. While Averette isn't a big scorer, he doesn't need to be as long as F Lawrence Gilbert and F Malcolm Thomas can put the ball in the hoop.
Though mired in a four-game skid in the midst an overall frustrating season, the Warhawks are showing signs of improvement.
?I talk to other coaches in our league, guys that are watching our team? Early said this week. ?I get a call out of the blue from John Brady. The guy at North Texas called. The guy at Florida International called. They keep calling ? ?Man, I can not believe that your team is 1-6 right now. You guys are right there.??
But Early knows that perceptions is one thing. In reality, the Warhawks enter tonight?s 6 p.m. Sun Belt game at Florida Atlantic at 5-13 overall and 1-6 in the conference. The most recent two Sun Belt games were close (65-62 at Arkansas State and 71-70 to Troy), yet they were still losses.
?What we have to do is what we work on,? Early said. ?We have to stay true to our system and believe in what we?re doing. Eventually, we?ll find a way to get a win. If we stray away from what we do and what we believe in, then we?ve got no chance.?
The Warhawks were despondent after the one-point home loss to Troy on Saturday. Players and coaches all left Fant-Ewing Coliseum without taking their post-game meal. A stack of pizzas was left untouched in the trainer?s room.
?After Saturday?s game was the first time that I?ve seen them really, really down,?
Early said. ?As a coach, you want your coach to be disappointed about a loss. I?d rather the coaches, the staff and the managers take it really bad, because those guys have to play another game. They have to move on to compete in the next game.?
ULM has settled into a regular player rotation that includes starters Lawrence Gilbert, Malcolm Thomas, Rudy Turner, Jarvis Hill and Kenny Averette. Off the bench, ULM is getting improving production from Dynile Forbes, Afam Nweke, Mitchell Hampton and Brandon Williams.
?Our record is not good,? Early said. ?But I do like the direction that our team is going. We?re going to continue to work hard and get better.?
The Warhawks, who are 0-10 on the road, could use a breakthrough win away from Monroe. Struggling Florida Atlantic, which is 4-15 and 0-7 in the Sun Belt, could provide the opportunity tonight.
?It should be an interesting week for us,? said Early, whose team plays host to Florida International on Saturday. ?I think the spirits of our guys are pretty good. Hopefully, we can find a way to get two wins this week.?
==========
GETTING INSIDE
The good news for the Warhawks was that they played two competitive games and had real chances to win at the end.
The bad news was they weren't able to finish either game, falling 65-62 at Arkansas State on Jan. 15 and 71-70 at home to Troy on Jan. 17, extending their losing streak to four games.
ULM got 20 points from Malcolm Thomas, plus 17 points and 11 rebounds from Miami transfer Lawrence Gilbert in the loss to Troy. The Warhawks played pretty well, canning 11 3-pointers, but still fell short.
Two plays down the stretch killed ULM. First, Troy's Brandon Hazzard drained a 3-pointer -- it was initially ruled a 2-point basket -- with 31 seconds left, putting Troy ahead for good. Then the Warhawks turned the ball over.
Give the Warhawks credit for still playing hard in the midst of a tough season, but for them to keep exerting maximum effort game-after-game, they'll have to get a couple of these close ones to go their way.
NOTES, QUOTES
--In its loss to Troy, ULM passed the ball probably as well as it has all season. The Warhawks had 16 assists, 24 made field goals and just nine turnovers.
--F Malcolm Thomas wins the consistency award for the week, scoring 20 points at Arkansas State and following it up with another 20 against Troy. Thomas, though, hit just seven of 19 field goals against Troy.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Tony's commitment to our program and team was evident during his suspension. He did everything we asked and more. It is just unfortunate about his injury." -- Coach Orlando Early on G Tony Hooper, who is out for the season after breaking a bone in his foot during practice last week. Hooper returned last month after serving an eight-game suspension for breaking team rules.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
It took a while, but ULM might have finally found a suitable replacement at point guard for Tony Hooper, who was first suspended and then was forced to the sidelines for the season's remainder with a broken foot.
Kenneth Averette has settled in nicely of late for Hooper, illustrated by his five-assist, one-turnover performance on Jan. 17 against Troy. While Averette isn't a big scorer, he doesn't need to be as long as F Lawrence Gilbert and F Malcolm Thomas can put the ball in the hoop.
